I felt the need to make cinnamon rolls in muffin form and then I filled them with sautéed spiced apples A) because it seemed like the right thing to do and B) because we all know that muffins and apples are both necessities first thing in the morning. I’m not saying that these would make for a healthy breakfast, but I’m also not saying they wouldn’t. These Apple Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Muffins are a sure fire win for everyone. I mean it’s got the word breakfast built right into them, right there in the title, so how can we go wrong? We’re only making right decisions in life from here on out. Making these muffins for yourself today is one of those right decisions.

The best part about these cinnamon roll muffins, aside from the apple surprise in the middle, is the fact that because they’re baked in a muffin tin, they all sort of become the “edge piece.” Let me explain, while everyone is raving about and fighting for the soft middle pieces in a pan, I’m always the one going after one of the crusty edge pieces. So if you’re like me, no you don’t have to worry about having enough because they’re all perfect crusty around the edges, but soft in the middle. It’s the perfect situation.

The Classics are back! It’s been such a long time since I updated this segment on the blog, which is a shame because I happen to really like it. I think it’s the most useful part of the site. Just in case you have no idea what I’m talking about right now, I’ll refresh your memory. A while back I decided that I needed more classic recipes on the site. Staples that are simple no-fuss recipes that I believe everyone should know how to make. Something that someone can make without much effort at all, and still be a rockstar in the kitchen. That’s my goal with this. The first installment was this Buttermilk Fried Chicken, all the way to the last one I did, which were these Strawberry Shortcakes. They vary between sweet and savory, and should be kept up your sleeve at all times for when the perfect moment arises. This time around I figure doughnuts were in order because the only way to get through a Monday is with fried dough, and because whenever you’re trying to make a comeback, doughnuts are your best bet. There’s nothing more classic than these. Chocolate twists are my mamma’s favorite doughnut. So these are dedicated to her because she taught me that doughnuts are always a must, and nothing scream classic more than my mamma. She’s one class act.

On another totally unrelated note. We’re one week, JUST ONE WEEK, away from the release of my cookbook! This is not a drill, friends. The Slider Effect comes out on June 28th, and I can’t wait for you guys to finally see it! You’re either going to be just as excited or really tired of me mentioning it. I’m sorry. I’m past the excited stage though, and more into the nervous-what-if-no-one-likes-it stage. I really do hope you love it and you cook all the sliders from it. If you haven’t preordered a copy yet, be sure to head on over to Amazon and reserve yourself a copy now so that you get it on your doorstep the day of. Think about it, you won’t have to get in your car and drive to the bookstore to find it, instead it’ll be delivered right to your door, and you can wait in the comfort of your own home. Or it’ll be there waiting for you when you get home from work. You’re going to see the box and think, “Ooooh, what is that? It’s a present?!” You’re right. It is a present. The best present you can get for yourself. Don’t be left behind!

The only thing I really liked about elementary school, from what I can remember, was the enormous piece of coffee cake they would serve all the time. I’m sure there are more things I loved, but food wise, that was it. It’s the one food item I looked forward to eating the most. Well that, and the chalupas. Like flat taco boats. Those were the bomb. Did you ever eat chalupas? I’m not even sure if other schools served them. The coffee cake though, that was even better than the flat taco boats. It was always the perfect consistency and texture too, because even as a kid I was all about texture. I would sit at the table eating my giant slice of cake and I’d critique it as if I were a judge on chopped, although chopped wasn’t around then. Gosh, I probably didn’t have friends either. I always hoped for a middle piece of coffee cake because those were cut much bigger than the edges. Now as an adult, I’m all about the edges.

Another thing I really loved was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My mamma would make them for me all the time. I had some rules though when it came to my pb&js. You couldn’t just grab two slices of bread and slap whatever you wanted. No, it had to be done the right way. My way. First off, the bread needed to be toasted, I couldn’t get down with soft bread getting caught in the roof of my mouth. It had to be toasted twice, not burnt just super toasted. As for the peanut butter, it had to be chunky, and piled on thick. No grape jelly nonsense for me either, it had to be made with strawberry preserves. I liked and still do love the texture of preserves rather than jelly, because preserves still have chunks and seeds. You put all of that together and presto bingo like magic, you’d end up with the perfect peanut butter and jelly for little baby Jonathan.

Now I can enjoy the best of both worlds. Coffee cake and peanut butter and jelly coming together for the ultimate breakfast cake. Breakfast cake is really just an excuse to eat dessert, first thing in the morning. Talk about a dream come true. Nothing is better than cake for breakfast. Except maybe Ice cream for breakfast. That probably takes the cake, pun intended.

I love to really turn things upside down in the kitchen, especially when it comes to making popular dishes that we’re all used to, and giving them a fun and interesting new makeover. Just like with these savory Falafel Waffles. Homemade falafel made into healthy waffles and then topped with a crazy delicious Mediterranean slaw. It’s just like what magic would taste like, if magic had a taste. I like to keep you guys guessing and just when you think you know what’s going on, I throw a curveball your way and take things in a different direction. As a big fan of cinnamon rolls, I decided that what the world needed more of was savory cinnamon rolls. There are plenty of sweet variations out there that people do so well, and so rather than give you another sweet creation, the next best thing are these Savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Rolls. So let’s think outside the box and welcome them with open arms. Give them a big hug, and eat as many as you can.

The dough is not sweet at all, and while yes, I’m calling them cinnamon rolls, there really isn’t any sugar or cinnamon in the filling, although you really could if you wanted to as the sweetness from a bit of brown sugar would be great with the BBQ sauce and pork. So if you’re a fan of BBQ sauce, pulled pork and cheese, then you’ll definitely be best friends with these rolls. They’re the perfect recipe to try out over the weekend. Get started in the morning and while the dough rises and the rolls double in size, you could go around the house and get your chores done or cross things off from your to-do list. By the time the rolls are ready, you’ll be done with everything and you’ll have the greatest reward waiting for you. If you want to make these after Easter and have lots of leftover ham lying around, then by all means, dice up the ham and use it as a filling instead of the pulled pork. That would be a great use for that excess Easter ham.

2016 is all about pizza and pretzels, but most importantly it’s about pizza and pretzels coming together to create one MEGA snack; the Pizza Pretzel. This is what happens when a soft pretzel meets cheesy pepperoni pizza. They have a crazy night together and then BAM, 9 months later the pizza pretzel is born. I’m almost positive that’s how it happened. Regardless of how they came to be, I’m just happy that they were invented, but I’m more happy that I can’t ever go to a mall without craving one of these…for shopping fuel, of course. The best part is the warm pizza sauce on the side for dipping and dunking. So rather than continue going to the mall to spend money on things I really don’t need, just as an excuse to buy the snack of my dreams, I thought it would be more beneficial to both you and I, if I were to make them at home from scratch. That way we can have them at our fingertips whenever we need them.

These are a take on a post from way back when; a post I like to call, Soft Pretzels. It’s a super old post that I’m not too found of because the photos aren’t that all that good, and I really didn’t know what the heck I was doing in the first place, but I was doing it anyway. I thought it would be a good idea to share it either way because you’d be able to get a better understanding of how to make and shape pretzels from scratch. So with that being said, follow that link above and you’ll have a more detailed post on all you need to know about making soft pretzels in the comfort of your own home. Go ahead and make them in your pajamas. No one is here to judge you.

These soft pretzels however, are even better than the original because they’re topped with lots and lots of shredded cheese and sliced pepperoni. A simple pepperoni pizza will forever be a guilty pleasure of mine. Sometimes, simple is best. And just when you think that things couldn’t get any better, I’m serving these pizza pretzels with pizza sauce on the side for dipping, just like those mall joints we’ve all fallen in love with do. So let 2016 be the year we get adventurous in the kitchen. Let this be the year we overcome our fear of making homemade bread dough from scratch. Soft pretzels right from the oven are one of life’s greatest pleasures. Don’t miss out. They’re especially more pleasurable when turned into pizza. That’s all I have to say.

Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate, the main most important reason to make cake is because it can double as a dessert and/or breakfast food. That’s definitely the only benefit of slaving away in the kitchen whipping up batter and baking and cooling the cake, aside from it’s delicious taste of course. Sometimes you’re in need of something sweet after stuffing your face with food for dinner, the answer is cake. Or sometimes you need a treat first thing in the morning, the answer is cake. You’re feeling peckish late at night before bed, cake. You’re getting sleepy at work, typing away on your computer during the middle of the day, cake. You’re stuck in traffic right smack in the middle of peak rush hour, CAKE! You had a bad day at work, cake, cake, cake and CAKE!

Anyhow, I’ve determined that pound cake is called pound cake because you get to eat a pound of cake at a time and it’s totally acceptable. No one will give you dirty looks for eating too much cake, and if they do, it’s only because they’re incredibly jealous of you and your superior life choices. My advice to you is to not give it a second thought and just continue living your life by eating pounds and pounds of cake right when you wake up or whenever you want because you’re living your life and no one should tell you how to live it.

This cake has quite a few steps (so say that I didn’t warn you, but I promise they’re all worth it and you won’t even notice them because in the end you’ll be eating slice after slice of the best pound cake you’ll ever eat. It’s layered with quite a few flavors so that each bite is different. You don’t want a cake to be exactly the same with each other, because then it becomes boring and monotonous. No one want’s that. So get creative and forget about all of your fears in the kitchen because you’re the boss. Y0u got this, I believe in you.